Canal-rack



(No Mo'del.) I

F. L. ROBINSGN.

CANAL RACK.

Patented June 16, 1891.

S14/vanto@ @Hom/1m31! Witwen@ @gt3 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. ROBINSON, OF CARIBOU, MAINE.

CANAL- RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,185, dated June 16,1891.

Application filed February 25, 1891. Serial No. 382,794. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Caribou, in the county of Aroostook and State of Maine, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Canal-Racks, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of akcanal provided with my improvements; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinalsectional view thereof, and Fig. 3 a plan view of a single flumeprovided with my improvements. c

The invention is designed to produce improved and simple means forcollecting the refuse of canals and iiumes and discharging it therefromwithout materially interfering with the How of Water, as will more fullyherein after appear.

In the drawings, a a represent two vertical partition-walls erected inthe canal in such a manner as to form three tlumes or passages for thewater. At the head of each of these passages is arranged a suitablevertically-operating gate h, whereby the water may be shut off from anyone of them without interfering with the others. Secured in each of theilumes is a grating of slats c, which extend entirely across the flumeand incline upstream, these slats being attached at their upper ends tocross-bars and at th eir lower ends to inclined concentrating-boards dd, secured in the bottoms of the respective lumes. These boards d extendout from the sides of the iiumes toward their respective centers and areinclined downstream, serving to' direct and guide the collected refuseinto penstoclrs or conduits e, leading out of the ilumes and lo cated onthe bottom of the canal. The heads of -these penstocks are closed byverticallymovable gates f, suitably controlled from above the Water. Thelongitudinal penstocks all lead into an oblique penstock f', extendingacross the canal and having its lower end discharging out through oneside of the same into an adjacent river or other convenient place ofdeposit for the refuse. This cross penstock or conduit is located on thebottom of the canal and is formed low and wide, so as not to materiallyinterrupt the iiow of water down the canal. This collecting anddischarging apparatus is usually built in the canal above the mill, soas to prevent ice and iioating refuse entering the same and injuring itsmachinery.

The gates h at the heads of the flumes are kept raised all the time, andthe gates f at the headof the waste-conduits are kept closed. When aquantity of refuse has been collected by the rack and boards in any oneof the lumes, the gate b of that iiume is closed and its waste-gate fisopened, thereby permitting the water to carry the collected refuse outof the flumeinto the oblique cross-conduit, from whence it is carried bythe outrushing water oft to one side out of the canal. This method ofcollecting refuse and discharging it from the canal has many advantagesover the old devices. One advantage is the rapidity with which therefuse collected in any one of the iiumes may be discharged, and anotherand important one is that any one of the flumes may be cleaned withoutstopping or cutting off the supply of water to the mill.

It is evident that without departing from the invention in the least Imay employ only one concentrating-board d for each of the lumes insteadof two, as shown, and it is also obvious that these boards may bearranged at right angles to the canal instead of being arrangedobliquely. It is also obvious that I may employ only a single flumeinstead of three, as shown in Fig. 3, without departing from theinvention, and also that I may vary the number of these ilumes to suitthe exigencies of each case. A further important advantage of thisarrangement of racks and flumes and gates is the effective andconvenient manrter provided for thoroughly cleaning the racks of anyrefuse that may cling to them. It will be observed that when any one ofthe gates b is closed down and its corresponding refuse-gate f openedthe out'rushing Water is drawnE up through the rack from below theilumes. This back-draft through the racks serves to clear them of allrefuse clinging to them and carry it out through thc waste-openings.

Having thusfully described my invention, whatI claim is l. Thecombination, with a iiume and a grating extending across the same andinclinI ing upstream, ot' a waste-outlet leading ont of the lower end ofthe flnmevand closed by a gate, and a lateral conduit connected to thisWaste-outlet and discharging to one side of the flume, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, With a canal, of a Vertical partition or partitionsarranged therein to form iiumes, gates at the heads of these umes, racksarranged in these lumes and inclining upstream, concentrating-boardsarranged at the lower ends of the inmes, Wasteoutlets controlled bygates, and a lateral conduit communicating with the waste-outlets anddischarging to one side of the'canah substantially as described.

municating with the said waste-conduits,

substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ax my si gnature in a 5 presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK L. ROBINSON. \Vitnesses:

CHARLES D. ROBINSON, GEO. B. ROBERTS.

